Maine Is About to Legalize Mobile Sports Betting — What Bettors There Need to Know

Maine has been one of the stubbornest holdouts in the northeastern United States when it comes to online sports betting. While Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and virtually every neighboring state have launched legal mobile wagering platforms, Maine bettors have either crossed state lines, used offshore sites, or gone without. That is about to change. The Pine Tree State is on the verge of a legal transformation, and bettors there should understand exactly what is coming and when.

A Long Road to Legal Mobile Wagering

Maine’s path to legal sports betting has been unusually turbulent. The legislature passed sports betting bills multiple times over several years, only to see them stall at the governor’s desk, die at appropriations tables, or fail to clear both chambers in identical form. Governor Janet Mills vetoed a sports betting bill in 2020, and subsequent sessions saw similar near-misses that left bettors perpetually waiting.

The situation began to resolve in 2022, when Mills signed LD 585, a historic agreement that authorized Maine’s four federally recognized Wabanaki Nations — the Penobscot Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe, Mi’kmaq Nation, and Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians — to offer online sports wagering in the state. DraftKings and Caesars are currently the two licensed operators, having partnered with tribal nations under the framework that law established. For the first time, Maine bettors have access to legal, regulated mobile sportsbooks without leaving the state.

Online Casinos Are Now Legal Too

The next chapter came in early 2026, when Governor Mills allowed LD 1164 to become law without her signature. That bill, titled An Act to Create Economic Opportunity for the Wabanaki Nations Through Internet Gaming, authorizes each of Maine’s four tribal nations to partner with commercial operators to offer internet casino gaming — slots, table games, poker — through licensed platforms. Maine is now on track to become the eighth state in the country to authorize state-regulated iGaming.

The online casino framework follows the structure of the sports betting law closely. The Maine Gambling Control Unit will oversee licensing and regulations. Operators will be taxed at an 18 percent rate on gross gaming revenue, a figure that officials project could generate approximately $100 million in annual revenue for tribal communities and state programs. The launch is expected sometime in 2027, after regulators finalize the rulebook and vet prospective operators.

What Bettors Can Do Right Now

Maine residents who want to bet on sports legally today have two options: DraftKings Sportsbook and Caesars Sportsbook. Both platforms are fully licensed by the Maine Gambling Control Unit and operate through tribal partnerships under the 2022 law. They offer the same product available in other legal states — full NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college sports markets, live betting, same-game parlays, and app-based wagering from anywhere within Maine’s state lines.

There are no major restrictions on what sports can be wagered on in Maine, and the apps work seamlessly for anyone 21 or older who is physically located inside the state. Compared to the offshore alternatives many Mainers have historically used, these platforms offer genuine consumer protections, regulated payout timelines, and recourse through state regulators if something goes wrong.

A new bill — LD 2080 — is also moving through the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee in 2026. That measure would ban the use of credit cards for online sports betting and, once iGaming launches, for online casino play as well. Seven other states including Maine’s neighbors New Hampshire and Massachusetts already have similar restrictions. If LD 2080 passes, bettors in Maine will need to fund their accounts through debit cards, PayPal, or online banking rather than credit cards.

More Operators Are Coming

The current two-operator market in Maine is expected to expand as the sports betting framework matures and as the iGaming launch draws closer. DraftKings already has a strong foothold through its tribal partnership with the Passamaquoddy Tribe, and the company is widely expected to be among the first to launch an online casino product in the state. Other major national operators have expressed interest in partnering with the remaining Wabanaki Nations as licenses become available.

The expansion of Maine’s gambling market represents a meaningful shift in how the state’s leadership views regulated gaming. For decades, Maine was among the most cautious states in the country on gaming policy, with Governor Mills herself initially opposed to major expansions. Her decision to allow both the sports betting framework and the iGaming bill to become law signals a new pragmatism — one driven by economic development goals for tribal communities and a recognition that bettors were already spending money in the market, just not in a regulated way.

For Maine bettors who have waited years for this moment, the core infrastructure is finally in place. The market is small compared to Massachusetts or New York, but it is legal, regulated, and growing. If you are in Maine and you have not yet set up an account with DraftKings or Caesars, there is no longer a reason to wait.